Egypt has witnessed controversy in recent days due to the emergence of a “mysterious disease” in Aswan
The Egyptian Minister of Health, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister, confirmed that the main cause of intestinal infections in… Aswan A bacteria called E. coli, which is a bacterial colon infection.
Abdel Ghaffar explained during a press conference in Aswan that this strain of microbes is transmitted as a result of mixing drinking water with sewage, and sometimes causes severe illness, especially for those with weak immunity, and leads to severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, noting that the symptoms range from one to five days, and the infection can be transmitted between people, so it is recommended to adhere to the rules of personal hygiene to prevent infection with bacteria, stressing that the crisis will end completely within 7 days.
The minister revealed that the first cases of intestinal flu in Aswan were reported on September 16, noting that the total number of hospital visits reached 480 cases, most of which were minor, except for 168 cases that needed to be admitted to hospital inpatient departments due to a delay in their arrival to the hospital. Of these, 49 cases were discharged and the remaining 78 cases are recovering, in addition to 36 cases in intensive care because they suffer from chronic diseases.
The Deputy Prime Minister added Minister of Health and PopulationThe average frequency of cases in Aswan hospitals ranged between 18 and 19 cases across all hospitals in the governorate, which is a low rate compared to the size of the governorate and its population.
He pointed out that a working team was formed in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing, the Drinking Water Company and Aswan Governorate to determine the causes of intestinal infections, adding that treatment convoys were implemented for the Abu al-Rish and Daraw areas, equipped with all medicines and medical supplies.
He also confirmed that the safety of drinking water in all water stations in Aswan has been verified by taking samples from a number of stations for testing, noting that there is a system for governing the Nile waters in which more than one ministry participates, in addition to the existence of a complex system to ensure the suitability of drinking water under normal conditions.
He stressed that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi follows up on the situation in Aswan Governorate on a daily basis, and that the state does not hide anything in its dealings with medical cases in Aswan, stressing that what is being circulated on social media is incorrect and that the occupancy rate in Aswan hospitals is currently around 37%.
For his part, Eng. Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, said that there are 108 water stations serving Aswan Governorate, adding that the water in the governorate fully complies with specifications and standards, and field work teams have been formed to follow up on the situation in Aswan. The internal networks in the implemented homes were also inspected by the residents, and some non-compliant matters were detected. However, the work teams have fully secured these connections, whether for drinking water or sewage. There is also periodic follow-up to ensure the quality of drinking water in Aswan.
Major General Ismail Kamal, Governor of Aswan, also sent a reassuring message to citizens regarding the disease cases, expressing his thanks for attending the villages of Abu al-Rish and Daraw to clarify the truth to the whole world, stressing that the governorate was exposed to a large number of rumors, adding that the governorate is preparing to celebrate the beginning of the winter tourist season and not a single group has been cancelled.
